Agenda item

Extend existing touring caravan site to adjacent land by creating new access from existing camp site, relocating one touring caravan site and adding 8 new touring caravans

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Anwen Davies

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To refuse – reasons

1.    This development would not be located in an unobtrusive location that is well concealed by the existing landscape features, it would be harmful to the quality of the landscape and it would not integrate appropriately to the location in open countryside. In addition, the proposal would not contribute to the maintenance, improvement or recovery of the recognised character of the Special Landscape Area. Therefore, it is considered that the proposal is contrary to the requirements of Policies TWR 5, PCYFF 4 and AMG 2 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan.

Extend the existing touring caravan site to land nearby by creating a new access from the existing camping site, move the location of one touring caravan and add eight new touring caravans.

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

a)    The Development Control Officer highlighted that the application related to extending the existing camping site to adjacent agricultural land located in open countryside and within a Special Landscape Area.  It was proposed to create additional pitches for eight touring caravans as well as a new internal link road with a pitch to relocate one touring caravan from the existing site.  

It was explained that the application was an amended application for 8 additional pod on the same site as was refused on 22/07/2019 (application number C19/0090/33/LL). The application was submitted to a Committee as the site was in the ownership of a Council Member.

It was expressed that Policy TWR 5 stated that any new touring caravan development must be of a high quality in terms of design, setting and appearance and that it is well hidden by the existing features of the landscape and / or in a place where touring units can be easily assimilated to the landscape in a way that does not cause significant harm to its visual quality.  It was highlighted that the application land was on a higher level than the existing touring caravan site and although it was intended to excavate down around 1m in the field in order to locate the caravans on the land, the highest part of the caravans would continue to be visible in the landscape. It was unlikely that the groundworks and planting would be sufficient to hide the caravans for some years, if at all. A development of this nature and scale would therefore be likely to stand out obtrusively in the landscape, causing significant harm to the visual quality of the landscape.

In acknowledging the points made by the applicant that was submitted in the additional information, they did not change the fact that the site was visible in the landscape and the extension in question would be on a higher level than the existing touring caravan site on the farm.  It was not considered that the extension to the site would be well hidden by the existing features of the landscape and it was not considered that the proposal would integrate well with its surroundings. As a result, it was considered that the proposal would not do anything to maintain, enhance or restore the acknowledged character of the Special Landscape Area and that the proposal was contrary to the requirements of Policy TWR 5, PCYFF 4 and AMG 2 of the LDP.

b) Taking advantage of the right to speak, the applicant’s agent noted the following comments:

·         That the farm was a sixth-generation family farm

·         That diversification had to be considered

·         The family had established a small and tidy park

·         The intention was to extend the provision and not create a new park

·         That there was a reference in the report about the proposal to reduce the land level, but there was no acknowledgement that the ‘cloddiau’ would be higher

c)    It was proposed and seconded to refuse the application.

RESOLVED: To refuse - reason

1.         This development would be located in a prominent location that is well concealed by the existing landscape features, it would be harmful to the quality of the landscape and it would not integrate appropriately to the location in open countryside. In addition, the proposal would not contribute to the maintenance, improvement or recovery of the recognised character of the Special Landscape Area. Therefore, it is considered that the proposal is contrary to the requirements of Policies TWR 5, PCYFF 4 and AMG 2 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan.